Best Day
by sandybeliever
Summary: This is part of my Aubrey series. It follows Rescue45's Hoses and Guns and is just a few days in the life of Johnny and Roy, Starsky and Hutch.


My story ties in with Rescue45's Hoses and Guns. You can read that first to find out what happened to Starsky and Hutch who make an appearance in this story.

**Best Day**

Johnny backed up the squad beside the ambulance and headed into the emergency room. Billy Dickenson had escorted the patient and was with her in the treatment room. Johnny spotted Dixie and told her to let Billy know that he was going to run up and see Roy and Joanne.

Getting off the elevator on the fourth floor, Johnny hooked a right towards Joanne's room. He spotted Roy leaning on the wall outside her door. Johnny's stomach lurched as he approached and saw Roy's expression.

"Roy?"

Hearing his name, Roy jumped. "Oh, Johnny, hi."

"Is Jo okay…the baby?" Johnny asked as he reached his friend's side.

"They are both okay…it's just…" Roy fumbled and ran a hand through his hair.

"What is it, Roy?"

Roy took a deep breath and looked around at the nurses and visitors in the busy hallway. Motioning toward the end of the hallway, he and Johnny made their way there. Looking out the window, Roy paused and then took in another heavy breath.

"Joanne finally got to see the baby today."

Johnny tentatively smiled. "That's great."

Roy could hear the confusion in Johnny's voice. "It was wonderful. It really was. She held him for a long time and even got to give him a bottle but…when she had to leave him." Johnny realized what had Roy so upset and nodded his head soberly as Roy continued. "She cried all the way back here and then when I was helping her get settled, she just got so angry. Aubrey was here waiting for her and Joanne…well, she said some hurtful things."

"To Bree?" Johnny felt the need to rush and call Aubrey at home.

"I'm sorry, Johnny. I know that Joanne didn't mean those things. Aubrey gets to be home with Delia and Joanne barely knows her own little boy yet."

Johnny relaxed a bit. "I know she didn't want to be mean like that. I can only imagine what it must feel like to not be able to hold her baby all the time."

Roy rested his forehead against the window and stared out at the city below. Johnny knew he should get back to the squad but didn't want to leave Roy. Sensing Johnny's discomfort, Roy tried to smile.

"She'll be okay, Johnny. Every day she gets stronger and so does little Kevin."

Johnny returned the smile but his eyes remained sad. "Well, if there is anything I can do…you'll let me know, right?" Johnny put a consoling hand on Roy's shoulder.

Roy nodded. "You better get back down to Billy before he leaves without you."

Johnny looked down the hall at Joanne's door. "I wanted to say hi but I'll wait until next time."

"I think that's a good idea. I gave her time to cool down. The doc gave her something to take the edge off too so I better go see if she's okay." Roy took a step and then turned back to his partner. "Thanks, Johnny."

Johnny shrugged and grinned. "Heck, I didn't do anything."

"No, you did. You were here when I needed to talk. Thank you." Roy smiled and headed back to Joanne's side.

After Roy, disappeared into Joanne's room, Johnny stood mulling over what Roy had said as he tapped the handy-talkie's antennae on his chin. He headed to the elevator with a promise to himself to call Aubrey when he returned to the station.

~ E ~

Johnny pulled a dime from his pocket and dialed Roy's home number. Aubrey was alternating staying with the DeSoto kids with Eileen, Joanne's sister.

"DeSoto residence, this is Aubrey speaking."

"Hi there, Bree," Johnny said smiling at the sound of her voice.

"Everything okay, Johnny?"

"Yes, everything is fine here. How are you? I heard you had a rough time earlier today at the hospital."

"Oh you heard about that?"

"I stopped by and saw Roy after a run."

"Poor Joanne. I feel so bad for her. She was really upset."

"What exactly did she say to you?"

"It's not important, G-Man. She came back from seeing the baby and I think me being in the room didn't help. I was upset at first but I understand. She knew Delia was just downstairs and I was going home with her."

Johnny grinned into the phone. "You are an amazing, woman."

"Oh, stop." Johnny could hear the smile in her voice.

"Give Delia a kiss for me and tell Chris and Jenny I said hi, okay?"

"Okay, sweetie. I love you."

"Love you too."

Johnny hung up the phone and headed for the coffee pot. Hank came around the corner as he passed.

"John. Did you see Joanne and Roy when you were at Rampart?"

"I saw Roy, yeah. Joanne got to see the baby today."

"That's fantastic. She must be doing well then."

"I guess so."

Hank studied Johnny's face. "Is there a problem, Pal?"

Johnny fiddled with the cabinet knob for a moment. "I heard Joanne got pretty upset when they made her go back to her room. Aubrey was there and…" Johnny let his words trail off.

Hank leaned a hip against the counter as he thought. "Did I ever tell you that my wife went home from the hospital before the twins?"

Johnny looked up with a surprised expression, "Really? I didn't know that."

Hank nodded as he stared into the air in front of him. "You know what…I'm going to have Emily stop by and see Joanne. She hasn't been there for a few days and she just may be able to help her." Hank headed out of the kitchen toward his office.

"Thank you, Cap." Johnny called after him. He let out a relieved breath as he poured himself a cup of coffee.

~ E ~

The next day, Johnny got dressed as the B-shift crew started coming in. He said goodbye to Billy as he climbed into his Rover and headed home. He and Aubrey had plans to visit Joanne after breakfast when the kids went to school. He had already spoken to Mike who agreed to meet them at 10 AM so he could watch Delia for a while – that is, if he could manage to get her out of Dixie's grip. Johnny laughed picturing the quiet engineer and the bold head nurse fighting over his daughter.

~ E ~

After settling Delia with Mike in the courtyard, Johnny and Aubrey headed upstairs to Joanne's room. Knocking quietly, they waited until they heard Roy say 'come in.' Johnny poked his head in and saw Joanne's welcoming smile. He held the door for his wife. As soon as Joanne saw Aubrey, however, her face fell. Johnny felt Aubrey's steps slow as she saw the other woman's expression.

"I can't believe you came back," Joanne said with a sob.

Aubrey stumbled back, her eyes welling with tears. Johnny glanced angrily at Roy who stood dumbstruck. As Aubrey turned and reached for the door, Johnny caught her wrist and pulled her to him protectively. She buried her face in his chest.

"Aubrey! Aubrey, I didn't mean it that way." Joanne reached out her arms. "I meant, after the way I treated you, I can't believe you would want to come back to see me." Aubrey turned her head and saw Joanne's sad smile and open arms. She stepped over to her and fell into a hug. "I'm so sorry, Aubrey. Please forgive me?" Joanne said, pulling two tissues from the bedside tray and handing one to the younger woman.

Aubrey laughed as she took the tissue and dabbed at her eyes. "Of course I forgive you, silly." Both Roy and Johnny let out a sigh of relief. "So tell me, what does my nephew look like? I want to hear every detail."

Roy tipped his head toward the door and Johnny nodded his understanding. They left the two friends alone to catch up.

"She seems better," Johnny said after he and Roy were in the hall and the door closed behind them.

"I didn't know what to do for her but Emily Stanley came by last night and had a talk with her. It really seemed to help."

Johnny looked away then back at Roy, "Uh, Roy, sorry but I mentioned something to Cap yesterday."

"No, don't apologize, Johnny. It was the best thing you could have done. Joanne needed someone who understood what she is going through. Plus Emily's version of 'tough love,' if you will, was just what Joanne needed. We all need to realize how lucky we are."

Johnny smiled, relieved he had inadvertently helped his friends. "That's great, Roy. Any word on when your family will all be together again?"

"I think Joanne will be going home in a few days. Kevin will be here for a while longer. That's going to be tough to leave him behind, but Emily promised she'd come back and visit and be here when Joanne gets discharged."

"Poor Jo."

"Yeah, but don't let her hear you say that. The more upbeat we are, the better she'll feel. At least that's the way I feel about it now. I want to let her cry and I want to feel bad for what she is going through but reminding her of all the good things is what helps keep her spirits up."

"I'll let Aubrey know that after we leave."

"Thanks, Johnny." Roy and Johnny watched as one of the nurses went into Joanne's room and came right back out again.

"I wonder what that's all about." Johnny wondered but then soon had his answer.

Aubrey came through the door a few minutes later holding a pink slip of paper. Stifling a giggle, she said, "I have to go downstairs, listen to this. 'To: The Pretty Brunette in the Pretty Redhead's Room. From: Firefighter Engineer Michael Stoker. Subject: Help! Message: I managed the diaper change but I'm not equipped to handle lunch.'" Aubrey then hurried down the hall laughing.

Johnny and Roy watched her go then Johnny's eyes dropped to the floor. He stared at his feet for a moment. "Roy, I won't say this in front of Jo, but…"

"What, Johnny?" Roy asked, becoming concerned.

"Well…when do _I _get to see the baby?"

Johnny's exasperated expression made Roy laugh. "Sorry, partner. You'll just have to wait a while more."

Johnny's eyes brightened as he hatched an idea. Roy knew that look well and braced himself. "Hey, when Bree and I were both in the hospital, Chet borrowed his brother's Polaroid camera and took a picture of her so I could see how she was."

"Johnny, I can't take a camera into the infant care unit. I'd get tossed out on my…"

"No, it's okay. Just do what Chet and the guys did and have someone make a distraction so you can take the picture."

Roy closed his eyes and shook his head. "No, Johnny, it's not like a room like these," he said pointing at Joanne's door. "It's all open with glass everywhere."

Johnny visibly deflated. "No, huh?" Roy shook his head. "Dang it."

Roy grinned, "Come on; let's go visit my wife, shall we?"

~ E ~

Johnny was sitting in his locker buttoning his shirt when Roy came into the locker room. "Roy? You're back?"

Roy opened his own locker and pulled off his shirt. "Yeah."

Johnny could see his partner was down. "You didn't want to leave them. I know." Roy simply nodded and continued to change into his uniform. Johnny watched him for a moment. "I just wish someone had told me you were coming back."

"Why's that?"

"Well, I didn't get to say goodbye to Billy. He's been a great partner and I'll miss him."

Roy slammed his locker, stepping back so he could see Johnny clearly. Johnny fussed with his shoe and didn't meet his partner's gaze. Finally, he couldn't stand it anymore and broke out in a laugh.

Roy smirked, "You had me going there for a minute, Junior."

"Hey, I told you not to call me that anymore," Johnny said, pretending to be offended.

"Yeah, well, tough." Roy said, closing Johnny inside his locker and turning to leave the room. He chuckled as Johnny began tapping out _S.O.S._ in Morse code from inside.

Roy greeted Marco and Chet in the kitchen and looked around as Johnny came in behind him. "Where's Mike?"

"He's not here yet," Marco said, surprised.

"Mike's never late," Johnny said. The sound of a motorcycle pulling into the parking lot made them all head outside.

A black Harley Davidson was making a u-turn in the parking lot. There was a slender driver, dressed all in black leather. A black helmet obscured the person's face but to the men, it was obviously a female driver. There was a passenger on the back, also in a black helmet but dressed in the familiar light blue shirt and navy blue pants. The motorcycle came to a stop. The passenger climbed off and removed his helmet. Chet looked back at the others in astonishment when he saw it was Mike Stoker. The driver flipped up her visor and Mike leaned in for a kiss. Flipping the visor back down, the mysterious driver gunned the engine and headed out of the parking lot.

Mike nodded hello to everyone, ignoring their gaping mouth expressions, and headed into the station.

"Who the hell was that?" Chet asked when Mike was out of ear shot.

"I think it was Tessa," Johnny said.

"Tessa? From your pool party?" Marco asked and Johnny just nodded. "Oh man, I knew I should have asked her out."

Chet headed back into the kitchen, shaking his head in amazement. "That looked like an XL-1000 Sportster."

"It sure was. 1978," Mike said as he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down to read the paper.

Chet whistled, enviously.

Johnny looked at Roy and raised an eyebrow. "I would not have figured pretty little Tessa as a biker chick."

"Me neither."

"Mike, does she have a sister?" Chet said grinning.

"As a matter of fact, she has four sisters. But one is married."

Chet whistled again. "Fix me up with one, would ya?"

Mike studied Chet as if he was sizing him up. "I'll think about it." Chet rubbed his hands together, his face showing his delight. The rest of the crew chuckled.

"Cap, do I have time for a phone call before roll call?" Roy asked, fishing in his pocket for a dime.

"Roy, go use the phone in my office. I'll hold off roll call until you are done, Pal."

"Thank you, Cap." Roy said as he dropped the dime back in his pocket and hurried out of the kitchen.

Hank poured himself a cup of coffee and asked Mike about his interesting arrival at the station. A few minutes later Roy returned, looking worried.

"Everything okay there, Roy?" Hank asked.

"Yes. Joanne is being discharged tomorrow." Roy smiled as the men all chimed in with well wishes. "But the baby isn't going home with her."

"Roy, how can they separate them? She should stay in the hospital," Marco said. "Babies need their mamas."

"I agree but Joanne is doing so well and the hospital needs the bed. This is going to be tough on her," Roy said, looking over at Hank who nodded solemnly. "Cap, Emily said she would be there when she gets discharged…"

"I'll call her later this morning and let her know to be there tomorrow, Roy. Don't worry about that." Hank put his empty coffee cup in the sink. Passing Roy he placed a hand on the senior paramedic's shoulder and gave him a nod that conveyed that he would help in any way he could. "Let's get this day started, gentlemen. Roll call, two minutes."

~ E ~

The next morning Roy rushed to change. He wanted to get to the hospital and feel out Joanne's mood before she got discharged home. His stomach twisted in nervous anticipation. Johnny watched his friend and wished there was something he could do or say to help ease his mind.

"You know, Roy, Aubrey still plans on staying at your house when you are on shift so you don't have to worry about Joanne."

Roy nodded distractedly then shook himself out of his reverie. "I really do appreciate you two. Aubrey has gone above and beyond to help us. I just don't know what I would have done…"

Johnny grinned and sat down on the bench. "Remember that day at the diner? You made me go speak to her, remember, Roy?"

Roy was hastily buckling his belt but stopped and sat down next to Johnny. "Boy, you were so smitten."

"But I may never have gotten up the nerve to speak to her if you didn't push me. Like you said, she wasn't my usual type. So, I think it was all meant to be."

"_I seldom end up where I wanted to go, but almost always end up where I need to be," _Roy quoted with a smile. "I think Douglas Adams said that."

"I like that," Johnny said as Roy grabbed his bag and headed out into the bay to leave. "Call us if you need anything Roy." Roy nodded and waved back at Johnny as he ran out the back door to the parking lot.

Johnny sat back down trying to remember the quote. "I seldom end up where I want to go…"

"Try using a map," Chet said as he walked by.

"Funny, Chet."

~ E ~

As Roy approached Joanne's room Dr. Jurczak, her obstetrician, was just leaving. She spotted Roy and walked towards him. "Hi, Roy."

"Hi Dr. Jurczak. How is she?"

"Roy, I've told you to call me AnnMarie. We've gone through a lot together so no formalities, please." Roy nodded. "As for Joanne, physically she is doing very well. Dr. Brackett and I spoke earlier and I came in just to check her c-section incision and give her my own once over. I know she is anxious about leaving the baby so I prescribed her some anti-anxiety pills. She has that with her so be sure to have it filled. She can take them as she needs them."

"Thank you so much for everything, AnnMarie."

Smiling, Dr. Jurczak patted Roy's arm before hurrying down the hall to her next patient.

Roy pushed open the door to Joanne's room and peeked in. "Knock, knock."

"Good morning, Honey," Joanne said. She was still in her nightgown and robe but had just taken a shower. Her red hair was still damp and curled around her ears the way Roy loved. "What are you smiling at?"

"You. You are absolutely beautiful." Roy said, beaming.

Joanne blushed and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Oh stop it. I'm a mess. No makeup, no hair dryer…"

Roy leaned over and kissed her on the lips, savoring the smell of her skin. "You know I love you without all that stuff. You don't look old enough to be the mother of three children."

Joanne reached and took Roy's hand, threading her fingers through his. "Flattery will get you everywhere, big boy."

"Do you have your discharge papers yet? I can't wait to get you home where you belong."

"No, not yet. Soon, though." Joanne let go of Roy's hand and looked away, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"He'll be home with us soon," Roy whispered and Joanne nodded.

"I can't wait to see the kids. I can't wait to sleep in my own bed, but…"

There was a knock at the door. Roy looked at Joanne who nodded as she wiped a tear away. "Come in," Roy said, his voice husky with emotion.

Emily Stanley came through the door with a big smile. Seeing the emotions on the couple's faces didn't slow her down. "So you are finally going home I hear!"

"I am." Joanne said hesitantly smiling.

"Well, what are you doing in that nightgown?" She placed a shopping bag on the bed. "Here, put these on."

Joanne glanced at Roy who just shrugged. She reached into the bag and pulled out a rich brown pantsuit. Holding it up, she saw that the v-neck collar was embroidered with yellow, orange and red flowers. "Oh, Emily. This is beautiful. You shouldn't have done this."

"Nonsense, you need to feel pretty and I knew this would look beautiful on you. And," she reached for the pants, pulling on the waistband, "Elastic will still be comfortable until you are healed." She dropped the pants back on the bed and laughed.

Roy helped Joanne out of the bed and into the bathroom. He then came over and put his arm around Emily's shoulder and pulled her into a hug. Kissing her cheek, he whispered a thank you into her ear.

"Don't tell her, but I have another outfit for her in my car. When we get to your house, I'll give it to her. She'll be coming here every day and I want to make her sure she looks good. Back when I came in to see my twins, some days I was dressed in Hank's sweatpants. Ugh, what a sight I must have been."

Roy stifled a laugh as he pictured this put-together woman wearing baggy men's pants.

Dixie came in just then pushing a wheelchair with Joanne's discharge papers in her hand.

"Joanne, you've been sprung, hurry up." Roy called out.

Joanne stepped out of the bathroom and all three people smiled.

"Joanne, you look beautiful. Where did you get that gorgeous outfit?"

"Ask Emily here. She just gave it to me."

Dixie turned back to the older woman. "You and I are going shopping sometime soon."

"You've got yourself a date," Emily said.

"Well, I'm ready. I already went to say goodbye to Kevin," Joanne choked back a sob.

"Uh uh, none of that," Emily said as she bustled Joanne into the wheelchair. "You'll be back here in the morning to see him. Let's go see those other two beautiful children of yours." Roy rushed to open the door as Emily herself wheeled Joanne out into the hall. "It's a beautiful day; let's go feel that sunshine on our face."

Roy smiled over at Dixie who handed the discharge papers to him. "I guess I'm not needed here," she said, winking.

~ E ~

The next day, Joanne and Roy came home after visiting Kevin at the hospital. They were both surprised to see Johnny's Rover in the driveway.

"What are they doing here?" Roy wondered aloud.

"I don't know, you would think Aubrey would be happy to be able to spend some time at her own home now that I'm back." She smiled and Roy grinned back at her.

They walked into the living room and looked around. Roy leaned toward the staircase and listened. He put his finger to his lips and took Joanne's arm to help her quietly up the stairs. They followed the voices to Chris' bedroom. The door was halfway open. They could see Johnny sitting on the floor with a crib in pieces around him. He was scratching his head with the end of a screwdriver while he squinted at a booklet of instructions.

"Let me see that, Johnny," Aubrey said as she stepped into view holding Delia in one arm.

"No, I've got it," Johnny practically whined as he pulled the instructions out of her reach. "I just need to attach railing B to headboard A with these screws. No, _these_ screws. Wait..."

Aubrey paced back and forth lightly bouncing Delia. "I thought you were good at puzzles, G-Man."

"I am. Just give me a minute, would ya?"

Roy and Joanne couldn't hold in their giggles any longer and soon the door opened. Aubrey stood there looking at them and blushed. "Oh, you're home already? We wanted to surprise you."

"Well you did." Roy said walking in and surveying the clutter on the floor. "Johnny, you didn't have to do this."

"Now, Roy, you have been working and then staying with Joanne in the hospital. With Kevin coming early, I knew you never got a chance to get a crib so here we are. Besides," he said dropping the screwdriver into the mess, "I _didn't_ do it." He rested his chin on his fist and pouted.

Roy turned back to Joanne and Aubrey. "Why don't you two go relax and I'll help Johnny finish this up."

"More like **start it**," Aubrey mumbled and laughed as the instruction booklet hit her in the back of her leg.

After Joanne took a moment to fuss over little Delia, she and Aubrey made their way back downstairs. Joanne started roaming through the house taking in every detail.

As Joanne circled the kitchen, Aubrey said, "Um, Joanne, I tried to keep it as neat as I could. I don't know where everything goes, though, sorry."

Joanne stared at her friend with a confused look. Suddenly she realized what it must look like. "Aubrey, oh no. I'm sorry. That's not what I was doing. Good grief, what must you think of me?" Joanne took Aubrey's hand and pulled her out into the living room. Taking Delia from her, she motioned for Aubrey to sit in Roy's recliner. "I wasn't checking up on you – or Eileen. I just feel like I've been gone for so long, I wanted to…see everything."

"You're a little weird, you know that?" Aubrey said pulling the lever and reclining fully. She folded her hands in her lap and closed her eyes with a sigh. Joanne laughed and leaned back into the couch, snuggling with the baby.

The phone rang and before Joanne could move, Aubrey popped the recliner back into a sitting position and jumped up to grab it. "DeSoto residence, this is Aubrey. Hi Starsky! She's wonderful; she just got home this morning. How are you two feeling? Oh, that's great. We would love that. Okay, sounds good. I'll tell everyone. Take care and give my love to Hutch."

"What's all that about?" Joanne asked temporarily taking Delia's tiny foot from her lips.

"Starsky and Hutch are coming back for a visit in a few weeks," Aubrey said as she watched Joanne move from Delia's foot to her thigh. The baby squirmed in obvious delight. Aubrey settled herself back into the recliner.

"Well they deserve a break; poor things have worse luck than your husband when it comes to getting hurt." Joanne winked at Aubrey who just shrugged and nodded in agreement. Joanne wrinkled her nose and drew back from Delia. "Oh, Johnny!" she called up the stairs, "Delia needs her Daddy."

Johnny bounded down the stairs and smiled at the sight of Aubrey fully reclined in Roy's chair. He scooped up his daughter with a grin and then a wince. "Oh, I see how it is." Picking up the diaper bag near the front door, he headed into the spare room.

Both women leaned forward to better hear Johnny in the other room.

"Okay, Amelia Bedelia, let's see what you have for me. Oh my. Oh, you have been busy. Okay, hold still. Oh don't put your hand in…oh gross. Well, keep your hands out of your mouth for a minute, would ya? Alrighty then, let me clean you up. I bet that feels better doesn't it? Back into your clothes now. No need to kick Daddy. Okay, there you go. Good as new."

Joanne and Aubrey giggled as they heard Johnny packing up the diaper bag. He came out of the room holding a clean and happy seven-week-old little girl. "Let's go see Mommy so I can finish helping Uncle Roy." Johnny came over and handed the squirming baby to Aubrey along with a clean cloth diaper to use as a dribble cloth. "I think she'll be getting hungry soon. She pretty much emptied out completely that time." He screwed up his face in disgust.

Aubrey laid Delia on her back on top of her thighs and began humming to her. She saw Joanne looking wistfully at them. "Picture Delia and Kevin in six months, Joanne."

Joanne came out of her reverie and smiled. She put her feet up on the couch and adjusted the cushions behind her. "Tell me."

Aubrey began to go into detail, explaining there would be a playpen just beyond the couch with Delia and Kevin playing together happily. She even described what each baby would be wearing which made Joanne laugh as her eyes slid closed. Hearing a car in the driveway, Aubrey gathered up Delia and headed to the door before Emily Stanley could ring the bell. She quietly invited the woman in who was carrying two large bags full of Chinese food.

"Oh this is wonderful, Emily," Aubrey whispered. "You go put that in the kitchen and I'll head the guys off before Johnny smells the food and comes bouncing down the stairs like a noisy kid."

~ E ~

"That was delicious, Emily," Johnny said, patting his belly. "Thank you."

Roy nodded his head in agreement, "You've been way too generous, Emily."

"Oh stop. I love to help out, you know that."

Roy peered into the house from his seat on the patio. "Looks like she's waking up," he said, seeing Joanne's arms stretch above her head.

"You stay here and relax. I'll go visit with her. Jenny and Chris will be home soon. I know she's looking forward to seeing them," Emily said, stepping into the house.

After Emily closed the slider, Aubrey took a drink of lemonade. "Oh, I forgot to tell you. Starsky called. He and Hutch are coming for a visit in a couple of weeks."

"Oh good. Let's hope they don't take the 'scenic route' this time, if you know what I mean."

~ E ~

Roy finished putting away the dishes while everyone sat down to watch the latest episode of M.A.S.H. He tossed the towel next to the sink and went to sit down when he realized Johnny wasn't there. He checked around the station but didn't see him. He stepped out into the cool night. He spotted Johnny lying on the hood of his Rover, his back propped on the windshield. Roy walked over and leaned his elbows on the hood. Johnny was staring up into the unusually clear night sky.

"Whatcha doing?" Roy asked quietly but Johnny still flinched at the sound.

"Just star gazing." Johnny replied.

"Tough day," Roy said after a moment. He heard Johnny let out a sigh. Their day started with a baby who had died in his crib. By noon they were desperately trying to save the life of a drowning fifteen-year-old boy who had skipped school with some friends to have some fun. Johnny had always struggled with the child rescues but now that he had his own, it hit him even harder. Roy knew he always pictured his own kids at these times so he understood how Johnny felt. He reached out and put a hand on Johnny's leg. "Listen, Johnny, we have the next three days off and I want you and Aubrey to stay home. You two…you three…need to have some time to yourselves."

Johnny pulled his hands out from under his head and sat up. "You don't want us around?"

Roy leaned back and looked up at the dark sky to hide his expression. 'Here we go,' he thought. "That's not it at all. You and Aubrey have been there for us every step of the way and I think you just need to take it easy for the next few days."

Johnny looked skeptical but resumed his star-gazing posture. "Well, if that's what you want."

"It is," Roy said giving Johnny's leg another friendly pat.

"Aubrey won't like it. She hasn't been away from Joanne that long since we went to Arizona." Johnny looked over at Roy. He knew that was when Joanne had gotten sick and he felt bad for mentioning it. But Roy just smiled and nodded in agreement.

"It's cold out here, I'm heading in. You coming? M.A.S.H. is on," Roy said as he headed back to the kitchen door. Johnny hopped off the car and followed him, rubbing his bare arms to warm them.

Chet was just hanging up the phone when they came in. "She said yes; thanks, Mike," he said grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Who said yes?" Johnny asked, pulling a cookie from the jar.

"Carlina, Tessa's sister. We have a date tomorrow night."

"If she's half as beautiful as her sister, you are a lucky man," Johnny said, smiling.

"Mike, where's that picture?" Chet walked over to where Mike was sitting trying to watch television. Mike handed a photo back to Chet without ever taking his eyes of the screen. Chet brought it over to Johnny and Roy. "That's her, right there."

"She's a fox," Roy said and everyone in the room turned with a look of shock. "What," Roy said, his cheeks pinking, "she is. And you can't make a comment about me being married because Johnny is thinking the same thing and _he's_ married." Roy looked over at Johnny but he had left the room.

Hank got up and came to Roy's side. "Everything okay?"

"He's just having a hard time with those two victims today."

"How about you? Both those kids…" Hank began but Roy put up a hand and just nodded. He didn't want to hear the rest of the sentence. Hank clapped his hand on Roy's shoulder in understanding.

"I'm going to hit the hay too, Cap."

Roy headed for the locker room. Johnny was just leaving the sinks and walked into the dorm. Roy brushed his teeth and stripped off his shirt as he headed for his bunk. His turnout pants and boots were already set up next to his bed. Lying down with a sigh, he looked over at Johnny who had his arm slung across his eyes. Roy rolled over onto his stomach and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he rolled back over onto this back.

"You okay, Roy?" Johnny said without lifting his arm. When he didn't get a reply, he looked over and saw Roy staring at the ceiling in the dim light. "I can't wait to get home in the morning."

"Me too. I can't wait to see Kevin."

"Scares the hell out of me." Johnny didn't elaborate but Roy knew what he meant.

"It's like they just forget to breathe." Roy sensed Johnny nodding in the darkness.

Roy closed his eyes and tried to wipe the memories out of his mind's eye.

"Chris knows not the go near the jetty, doesn't he?" Johnny's voice quivered and Roy looked over at him. He couldn't help but smile. Johnny was just as afraid for his kids as he was.

"I've told him before but he's going to hear it again as soon as I see him." Johnny put his arm back over his eyes. Roy closed his eyes and waited for sleep to take him.

~ E ~

The wake up tones sounded. Roy opened his eyes and looked over at Johnny. "Did you sleep at all?"

"About as much as you did, I think." Johnny pushed himself into a sitting position and yawned. "Come on, let's get this show on the road." He stepped into his turnout pants and boots and headed for the kitchen and coffee.

Johnny put the coffee pot on the stove and flopped down into a chair at the table. Roy followed suit.

"Are you sure you don't want us to come by, Roy?"

Roy rested his head on his palm and closed his eyes. "No, you stay home with Aubrey and that baby of yours. Delia is going to think she lives at my house, not yours."

Johnny smirked as he looked at his watch. "Come on B-shift. I do not want to have to go out on a run." He got up and pulled two mugs out of the cabinet and stood watching the pot percolate. He turned back with two full cups of hot coffee to find Roy sleeping with his head on the table. The sound of Tessa's motorcycle pulling into the parking lot woke Roy with a jump. Johnny put the coffee down in front of his best friend. "Wake up, sleeping beauty."

Mike and Chet came into the kitchen. "Now, you better be a gentleman, Chet."

"Of course I'll be a gentleman, Mike. Aren't I always? Uh, forget I asked that. But I promise I will be on my best behavior." Mike stepped outside to great Tessa and Chet grabbed a cup of coffee and headed back to the dorm.

An hour later, Roy waved to Johnny as they both climbed into their vehicles and headed home.

Aubrey greeted Johnny at the door. She kissed him on the cheek as he came inside and looked around. "Where's Delia?" he asked.

"She was cranky so I put her back to bed," Aubrey said as she led Johnny over to the couch and sat down. Johnny flopped bonelessly into his seat. He scrubbed his face with his hands.

"You okay, G-Man?" Johnny wrapped her in a hug. They had been married less than a year and a half so Aubrey was still learning her husband's moods. "Tough shift?"

Johnny let her out of the embrace and looked sadly at her. He just nodded and leaned back into the couch cushions. He didn't want to tell her about the two children and hoped she wouldn't ask.

"What can I do?" she asked, reaching out to twirl his hair through her fingers.

Johnny turned his head and kissed her hand. "I'll be fine, Bree. I just want to see the baby. I hope she wakes up soon." As if on cue, there was a small cry from the nursery.

"Stay here, I'll get her," Aubrey said as she danced down the hall. A minute later she came in with Delia in her arms and handed her to Johnny.

Johnny sat her on his lap, his thumbs hooked under her arms and his fingers supporting her head. "There she is. There is my Amelia Bedelia. My, don't you look beautiful in purple." Delia rewarded Johnny's baby talk with a big smile and Johnny stopped short. "She smiled. Bree, did you see? She smiled at me."

"I saw. She loves her Daddy." Aubrey nuzzled her face into the baby's cheek.

"She smiled again," Johnny laughed. "Aw, Bree, this is the best day ever."

~ E ~

The next day, Johnny and Aubrey were lounging on the couch reading the paper. Aubrey was doing the crossword puzzle, "Johnny, what's a ten-letter word meaning 'lively interest?'" The phone rang as Johnny thought.

"Enthusiasm," he said he picked up the receiver. "Hullo?"

"Hey, Johnny."

"Well, hey there, Roy."

"What are you two doing today?"

"Just hanging out, nothing special. Why?"

"Well…we were hoping you'd come over."

"Uh…Roy, you specifically told us to stay away," Johnny said rolling his eyes at Aubrey.

"Yeah…I know. But we changed our minds. Please?"

Johnny gave a questioning look at Aubrey who just shrugged and nodded.

"Okay, sure. When shall we come?"

"Anytime. We will be home all day."

"Okay, we'll be over in a little while." Johnny hung up the phone. "They just can't live without us, Bree."

"Sounds like it," Aubrey giggled. "I'll go get dressed now while Delia is sleeping."

Less than ninety minutes later, Johnny and Aubrey arrived at the DeSoto house. As they walked up to the front door, Roy opened it. "Well it's about time you two got here."

"Have no fear, the Gages are here," Johnny joked.

"Well come on in, I want you to meet someone."

Roy opened the door wide and Johnny and Aubrey walked in. Joanne was sitting on the couch. Jenny was to her immediate right and Chris was kneeling on the floor in front of her. In her arms was… "The baby!" Johnny exclaimed and Aubrey rushed past him. She tip toed over and sat on the left of Joanne.

"Oh, Joanne. He's beautiful," Aubrey said, wrapping her arm around Joanne's shoulder. "He's so tiny."

Johnny hadn't moved. Roy reached out and took Delia from his arms. "Well go say hello to your nephew, Johnny."

Johnny came out of his trance and went behind the couch to stare down at the little wonder in Joanne's arms. "He is tiny. Look at that hair. He is sporting a pretty far out hair style. He looks like a red-headed cupie doll."

Joanne laughed and smiled up at him. Johnny leaned down and gave her a kiss on her forehead. "Jo, you are glowing more now than when you were pregnant."

"When did you find out he was coming home?" Aubrey asked, not able to tear her eyes away from the little baby.

Roy sat down in his recliner. "Yesterday when we went to see him, Dr. Parker was there and said he could come home today. I know I said you needed to stay at your place but we just couldn't wait for you to meet him."

Johnny came around and sat on the arm of the couch. He looked over at Roy who was beaming. The two men locked eyes and Johnny smiled. Roy let out a breath, leaned back into his chair and said, "This is the best day ever."

~ E ~

"Are you ready yet, Starsky?" Hutch was standing at his front door, one hand on the doorknob. Starsky had been staying at his place while they both recuperated.

"Almost, give me a minute, would ya? You have two good legs. I'm limping around with this thing still." Starsky held up his cane and waved it at Hutch. "Hey, are those my keys in your hand?"

"Yup."

"I can't drive yet. You can't be the first one to drive my new car!"

"Starsky, I was the one who drove your car _here_. And I'm certainly not going to listen to you whining about my car all the way to Los Angeles."

Starsky slung his duffle bag over his shoulder and headed out the door. He stopped in front of Hutch, his face really close to his partner's. "You better not put a dent in her."

As Hutch shut the door he mumbled, "Oh, this from the man who drove his last car off a mountain side."

"Hey, I was pushed!"

"Uh huh."

Twenty minutes later they were on the highway headed to LA. Starsky was squirming in the passenger seat. Hutch was trying not to let it bother him.

"Aw, Starsk, can you stop moving around so much; I need to concentrate on the road."

"You better watch the road. But sorry, I just can't find a position where my legs don't ache."

Hutch's mood softened. "Do you want me to pull over? We have plenty of time to get there."

"We'll never get there at this rate," Starsky whined. Hutch reached into his pocket and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol.

Starsky grinned, "Hey, thanks, Pal. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at swallowing these without water." Hutch reached behind the seat and handed Starsky a can of soda. "Well, would you look at that. You always think of everything, dontcha?" Starsky said, popping the soda open and tossing two Tylenol into his mouth.

"Anything for you, Buddy. Just don't drink that soda too fast or we'll be stopping every ten minutes for another reason."

"Yes, Mom."

Hutch sighed, "Could you at least call me 'Dad?'"

The rest of the ride was much quieter. Hutch did make one stop to let Starsky stretch his legs. Hutch's ribs had begun to ache so he took some Tylenol when they took their break.

"The hotel should be right along here somewhere," Starsky said leaning forward to peer out the windshield. "That's it."

Hutch let Starsky out at the front door, "I'll park the car. You check us in."

Opening the hotel room door for Starsky, Hutch dropped the duffle bag on his bed. The phone was ringing. "Hutchinson here. Oh hi, Captain. Yes, we just got in. Yup, in one piece. Funny, Captain. Thanks, bye."

"Aw, he cares about us," Starsky grinned and Hutch rolled his eyes.

~ E ~

The next day Starsky and Hutch headed for the DeSoto's house. "I can't wait to see those babies," Starsky said, leaning back and throwing his arm over the back of Hutch's seat. "You know, Hutch, we aren't getting any younger."

"You don't say."

"I mean it. We need to settle down and have those sons we always talk about. Kenneth Starsky. It has a ring to it."

Hutch looked over at his best friend and smiled, "David Hutchinson sounds pretty good too." Starsky nodded. "But we could have girls." Starsky just smiled and shrugged. "Or one of us could have a girl and the other have a boy. And then you know what that means."

Starsky's smile faded. "What?"

"They could date."

"That's gross, they'd be…they'd be…"

"Cousins?" Hutch asked and Starsky nodded. "No they wouldn't be."

Starsky stared out the window and contemplated that. "Well, then when they got married, we would be related." He grinned widely at the thought.

Hutch snapped his gum and laughed at his partner. "Way to see the bright side, Partner."

~ E ~

Roy opened the front door and welcomed Starsky and Hutch inside. "Hey, you finally made it."

"Oh I thought you said 1 o'clock," Starsky said, confused.

"Starsk, I think he means we were supposed to be here months ago," Hutch explained and Starsky blushed.

"Sit down, please." Roy said, motioning to the couch.

Johnny came in from the kitchen carrying a tray with a pitcher of iced tea and some glasses. Jenny followed behind him.

Hutch looked up as Johnny put the tray down. "Hi, Johnny. Look at you all domesticated."

Johnny shook Hutch's hand and tilted his head, embarrassed. "Well you know, I like to help out where I can." He reached and shook Starsky's hand and noticed his cane. "So how are you two doing?"

"A little better every day," Starsky said. "Hutch goes back to work soon. It will be a while longer for me," he said gesturing toward the cane.

"Thank you, Jenny," Hutch said sweetly, taking the glass of tea from Roy's daughter. "Where's the rest of the family?"

"Chris is at a football game. Joanne and Aubrey are getting the babies changed upstairs. They'll be down in a minute," Roy explained. "Jenny, why don't you go upstairs and tell Mommy and Auntie Aubrey our company is here."

Johnny picked up a glass of tea. "So, Hutch, when you go back to work you'll be paired with a different partner?"

"Most likely, yes. As you two can understand, that can be a tough thing to get used to."

"Be thankful you don't get stuck with that proctologist-needing Brick,"

"Brick?" Hutch asked.

"Brice," Johnny corrected. Starsky nodded and winked at Johnny who then laughed.

Starsky sighed, "Well no one is as lucky as me like when I was partnered with a beautiful young woman named Joan Meredith." Starsky drew her name out and punctuated it with a crooked grin.

"Sure, Starsk, rub it in. The best partner I ever got was Charlie Jackson. Only _you_ would get the most beautiful police woman in Bay City as a partner."

Johnny leaned forward, matching Starsky's grin. "So tell me about her."

Joanne and Aubrey came down the stairs just then so Johnny gestured to Starsky to drop the subject. Starsky laughed. "I'll tell you about it later. That was a pretty wild case."

Starsky and Hutch got up and hugged the women. Roy brought in some dining room chairs and everyone gathered around to 'oo' and 'ah' over Delia and Kevin.

Eventually both Hutch and Starsky were holding a baby. Starsky looked down at Delia and cooed at her. "Hey, she smiled at me."

"Well you are pretty funny looking, Starsk."

"Oh, you are a laugh riot, _friend_. So, I have a question for you guys. Now that you have a boy and girl the same age, what do you think of them one day getting together?"

Roy and Johnny looked at each other and then back at Starsky. "I'm not sure what you mean," Roy replied.

"You know, when they grow up they might date."

Johnny grimaced and Roy just looked shocked. "But they are cousins!" Johnny answered.

"See," Starsky said as he looked smugly over at Hutch.

"Well, no, Honey. They aren't really cousins," Aubrey said.

Johnny blinked a few times. "Oh yeah, well, I know that. But still….huh. Well, then we'd actually be related, Roy."

Hutch's jaw dropped. Looking from Johnny to Starsky he said, "Boy, you two really are a lot alike."

By the time Chris came home from his game, everyone was having a great time. Chris joined the group and was soon enthralled by the crime-fighting stories of Starsky and Hutch.

Listening to Chris' exclamations of 'cool' and 'wow' made Joanne wince. She leaned over to Aubrey saying, "I've been afraid his whole life that he would become a firefighter and now I have to worry about him being a policeman?"

Aubrey smiled and patted Joanne on the arm, "He's only 13; he'll change his mind again and again. Watch, he'll become a scientist or something like that instead." Joanne grinned and nodded, liking that idea.

"Chris, do you have any homework?" Joanne asked.

"I finished it already. We have a half day tomorrow too," Chris replied. Jenny whined that she didn't have a half day and folded her arms in a pout.

Johnny brought in his guitar and played a few songs that everyone could sing along to. Starsky announced that Hutch was quite the singer too. With a little coaxing, Hutch took Johnny's guitar and played 'Kristofer David.' He had the kids and the adults laughing with his many voice changes and impersonations.

"Hutch wrote that, you know," Starsky said, beaming like a proud parent. 'Play Black Bean Soup,' I love that one."

Hutch tried to beg off but everyone insisted so he gave in. By the end of the song, everyone was singing along.

With the kids finally all asleep, the mood got quieter and more relaxed. Roy passed a beer to Starsky but Hutch turned his away claiming he was driving and they would be going soon.

"What are you doing for the rest of your time here?" Aubrey asked.

"Oh just sightseeing. Nothing special," Hutch answered.

"Oh, you know you have to take me to Grauman's Chinese," Starsky began.

"Yeah and the walk of fame, I know, Starsk. By the way, it is now Mann's Chinese Theater."

"Theater? Isn't it a restaurant?" Starsky asked, bewildered.

Hutch rolled his eyes. "No, you dummy. And you won't be able to walk the whole way with your bad leg. I will help you find Paul Muni's star, don't worry."

"I want to take a picture of Paul Muni's star for my mother," Starsky explained, flashing his famous smile. Both women giggled, completely wrapped up in the two visitors' charms. Roy and Johnny exchanged a worried glance. "Oh and I want to visit the tar pits too," Starsky added.

"I'd love to see Griffith Observatory," Hutch said. Starsky made a face showing he didn't like that idea.

"And let's just cruise around like we do back home. I want to see the underbelly of LA and the people on the streets," Starsky's eyes lit up.

"Starsky, it is your fascination for eccentric personalities that keeps you from facing your own psyche."

Starsky looked at Hutch. "What the heck does that mean?" When Hutch didn't respond, Starsky looked to Johnny and Roy. "Do you know what that means?" Both men just shrugged and shook their heads.

A few minutes later Starsky was starting to yawn. Hutch stood up and stretched. "Come on, Partner. You need your rest and we have taken up enough of these nice people's time." Hutch reached down and pulled Starsky to his feet and handed him his cane.

"Thank you very much for a wonderful dinner, ladies." Starsky bowed and tipped an imaginary hat at Joanne and Aubrey. "We don't often get a home cooked meal."

"Starsky, Hutch, when are you going back to Bay City?" Joanne asked.

"The day after tomorrow," Hutch replied.

"And what are you doing for Thanksgiving? That's only a few days away."

Hutch looked at Starsky and they both shrugged. "Well, I go back east every other Thanksgiving so this year I'll just be staying home. Or go to The Pits," Starsky said as he looked at Hutch.

"Same here. My family is out of the country until after Christmas."

"Well, why don't you stay a few days longer and join us for Thanksgiving?" Joanne asked looking over at Roy who nodded in agreement.

"That's a great idea," Johnny piped in.

Hutch put up his hands, "Hey we didn't mean to sound like we were fishing for an invitation. I hope you don't think that."

"Of course we didn't think that," Aubrey said. "Please join us. Joanne and I are splitting the cooking."

Roy stepped forward. "We have so much to be thankful for, part of which was because of you two. Please join us."

Starsky and Hutch looked at each other and then back at Roy. Everyone felt as if the two men had discussed it but there hadn't been any words said between them. "Of course we'll come, thank you so much," Hutch said.

Joanne leaned in to kiss both men on the cheek. Aubrey did the same.

"Goodnight and thanks again," both Starsky and Hutch said as they opened the door and headed to the Torino.

~ E ~

Hutch was maneuvering through mid-day LA traffic on their way to lunch. Starsky had discovered he was much more comfortable with his right leg propped on the open window with his left stretch out on the floor of the car.

"You know, Hutch, that planetarium wasn't all that bad."

"Observatory."

"Huh?"

"Griffith _Observatory_. Oh never mind. I'm glad you liked it. After lunch we'll head over to Mann's and then find Paul Muni's star on the walk of fame, okay?"

"And Gracie Allen. Can we find her star too, buddy? I always loved her."

Hutch laughed and reached to put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Sure, we'll find her too."

~ E ~

"What are you making for lunch, Marco?" Johnny asked as he sat down on the sofa in the day room and opened the paper. It had been a busy morning and he hadn't gotten a chance to read it yet.

"Enchiladas," Marco replied with a smile.

Chet leaned back in a chair at the table. "Oh, I had the best enchiladas last night at Chano's Drive-In. Carli had two!"

"Carli?" Johnny asked.

"Yeah, Carlina. Tessa's sister."

Mike, who had his nose buried in a book, looked up sharply. "You took Carlina to a drive-in restaurant?"

Chet took a defensive posture. "Hey, I'm not made of money. We had fun and Chano's is a nice place."

Mike shook his head in disgust and went back to his book.

"So I assume you won't be seeing her again, huh Chet?" Johnny asked with a smirk.

"As a matter of fact we have another date tomorrow night."

"What are you doing then, taking her to the carnival?" Roy chuckled as he poured himself a glass of milk.

"What's wrong with that? I love carnivals."

Mike dropped his book in his lap. "Chet, you have to treat a lady well. Impress her."

"So where did you take Tessa on your first date, Mike?" Chet asked, sounding more and more like an annoying little brother by the minute.

"The ballet."

"No way," Johnny said over the top of the newspaper. Mike just nodded.

The tones went off. _Station 51, child hit by a car. 1555 South Western Avenue. One five five five South Western; cross street Abeles; time out 1225._

Johnny and Roy exchanged a worried look. They both weren't ready for another injured child and this run was right near Chris' school.

Johnny pointed to the left side of the road where a crowd had gathered. "That must be it." He went to pull the equipment from the compartment when he heard Roy yell Chris' name. His heart fell to his knees and he turned to Hank who was jogging up to the squad. "Cap, can you grab the rest of the supplies," he asked as he raced to the center of the crowd.

His heart skipped a beat as he found Chris writhing on the ground, his arm was bleeding profusely. Roy was frantically trying to calm him down and take a pulse at the same time. Johnny got down on one knee and leaned towards Roy.

"I've got this, Roy. Step back."

Roy looked over at Johnny with fear and confusion apparent on his face.

Johnny reached out for his arm. "Roy, let me take care of him." Johnny looked up at Hank who was now standing behind them. "Cap," he said simply.

Hank took Roy by the shoulders and pulled him gently to his feet. "Johnny has him, Roy. Come over here. Marco, Chet, get these people back and give Johnny room to work. Hank spotted an officer with two boys the same age as Chris. They were obviously upset but the officer was trying to find out what had happened.

Mike stooped down next to Johnny. "What can I do to help?"

Johnny had just finished taking Chris' vitals, speaking calmly to him the whole time. He looked gratefully over at the engineer. "Get Rampart on the phone, would you, Mike?"

Hank managed to get Roy to sit down on a bench that still allowed him to see what was going on with his son. "He couldn't even tell me what happened; he is in so much pain." Roy's voice was just a whisper.

Hank watched Roy's breathing increase. "You need to calm down, Roy. He needs to see that you are okay so he'll be okay." Roy nodded and tried to slow his breathing.

"Rampart, we have a 13-year-old boy with a compound fracture of the right ulna and possibly a break of the radius. Bleeding has been controlled. His vitals are BP 110 over 72, respirations 16, pulse is 120. He is in a significant amount of pain, Rampart."

_10-4, 51. Is there any sign of head trauma?_

"Negative, Rampart."

_51, start an IV with D5W and give 5 milligrams meperidine. Is the ambulance there yet?_

Johnny stopped to listen and could hear a siren a few blocks away. "Negative, Rampart, but it sounds like it is close to arrival."

_Immobilize the arm and transport as soon as possible._

"10-4 Rampart."

"Hey, what's going on over there?" Hutch asked as they passed the engine and the squad on the other side of the road.

Starsky leaned over Hutch to see out the driver's side window. "That's Station 51's crew."

"I know," Hutch said as he made a u-turn in the street and parked the Torino on the side of the road. An officer came toward them and asked them to stay back.

Hutch flipped open his badge. "We are from Bay City and those paramedics are friends of ours."

"Go ahead then, sir."

Hutch thanked the officer and moved along the edge of the crowd until he came to Chris' friends who were sitting on another bench. Hutch again showed his badge and asked what had happened.

"We aren't completely sure yet. They are pretty upset and the injured boy has been in too much pain to help us," the officer explained.

"Do you mind if I try speaking to them?"

"No, go ahead."

The ambulance arrived and once Johnny had the IV established and Chris was lifted onto the gurney he motioned to Hank to let Roy come back over to see his son.

Roy rushed to his side and took hold of Chris's hand.

"I…I'm sorry, Dad."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Chris." Roy looked up at Johnny. "I have to go in with him."

"Roy, look, you can meet us at the hospital. You know I'll take good care of him, right?" Roy looked at his friend and nodded. "Good." Johnny lowered his voice as he turned toward Hank. "He's in no shape to drive, Cap."

"I'll take care of it," Hank replied. "Marco, take the squad in. Roy, you'll ride shotgun this time."

Roy stumbled aimlessly like a man drugged. He spotted Starsky and Hutch coming toward him. "What…what are you doing here?"

Hutch put a consoling hand on Roy's arm. "We just happened to be driving by. His friends said they were walking on the side of the road when a car just swerved and drove right up on the sidewalk."

"I couldn't get a thing out of them, how did you do it?" The police officer asked.

Starsky smiled a bit, "Seems like once they found out who we were they calmed down. I guess that son of yours was talking about us at school today." He glanced over at Hutch who smiled awkwardly.

"You really made an impression on him last night," Roy said. "I have to go. I have to get to the hospital and call Joanne."

Roy turned toward the squad but Hutch reached out and stopped him. "Roy, don't worry about Joanne. Starsky and I will go to your house and talk to her."

"Make sure she's okay, please?"

Both detectives nodded at the paramedic and made their way back to the Torino.

~ E ~

"Oh my God," Joanne exclaimed. Hutch reached out to steady her as Starsky took the baby from her arms.

"Is Aubrey here, Joanne?"

Joanne stared off into space for a moment and then shook her head. "Delia had her well-baby visit. They left about 30 minutes ago. I can't leave until she's back. I can't take Kevin out, he's still too small."

Hutch put his arm around Joanne's shoulders. "Starsky has Kevin now. Let me take you to the hospital and I'll come back here. We'll both watch over him. He'll be fine, I promise." Hutch could see Joanne was still torn. "Chris needs you there. Roy needs you there, Joanne."

Looking back at Starsky, she saw him making silly faces at her son and she relaxed. "Okay. Let me get my purse." She returned a moment later. "Oh, Jenny. She will get dropped off by the bus at 3."

"Well be here waiting for her," Starsky said with a smile as he rocked the baby.

Hutch winked over his shoulder as he maneuvered Joanne out the front door. "Be back soon, Partner."

~ E ~

By the time Hutch and Joanne arrived at the hospital, Dr. Brackett was just coming out of the surgical treatment room.

Joanne ran to Roy's side. "How is he, Doctor?" she asked.

"The bone did break the skin," he paused as Joanne winced and Roy wrapped his arm around her. "He only broke his ulna, the smaller of the two bones in the forearm, but it is not too serious. We'll be able to set it right here in the emergency room. He's being prepped right now. I'll set it, stitch him up and put a temporary cast on him.

"Can I see him?" Joanne asked timidly.

"Just for a moment. He's already getting groggy."

Roy led Joanne into the room. Johnny leaned back against the wall and let out a relieved breath. "He really is going to be okay, Doc?"

"He's out for the football season, unfortunately, but he'll be back good as new next year." Brackett patted Johnny on the shoulder. He knew Chris DeSoto was very important to this paramedic too.

As Brackett walked back into Chris' room, Hutch came to Johnny's side. "I'm glad he'll be okay, Johnny. That was pretty amazing watching you work."

Johnny laughed softly. "You oughta see me when I'm not shaking like a leaf."

"Well, I'm going to get back to Roy's house. Starsky has Kevin and he may need some moral support."

"Oh man, thank you, Hutch. This means a lot to me…to all of us."

"I'm just glad I was here to help," Hutch smiled and walked to the exit.

~ E ~

Hutch walked into the DeSoto house and looked around for Starsky. "Here I am," Starsky said coming from the spare room.

"Diaper change?" Hutch asked, looking worried.

"Just number one," Starsky said with a relieved laugh. "Nothing major yet. How's Chris?"

"He's going to be okay. The break wasn't as bad as they first thought."

"That's great."

"Joanne wanted me to tell you that he's due for a bottle at…" Hutch was interrupted by a loud wail. "Right on time," he said laughing. "I'll heat the bottle."

"No, I got it." Starsky headed for the kitchen.

"At least let me take Kevin. You don't want him near the stove. Plus you should be using your cane." Starsky looked down at the baby and considered what Hutch had said. Reluctantly he handed the squirming fussbudget to his partner and took his cane in return. Hutch heard cabinets opening and closing followed by the clatter of pans and water running. A few minutes later he peeked through the door to see Starsky dripping the milk on his wrist. Content that it was the right temperature, he came back into the living room, taking Kevin from Hutch and sitting down in the recliner. He tossed a clean cloth diaper over his shoulder and popped the bottle into the baby's mouth.

Hutch sat down across from him. "You sure you don't need any help?"

"I got it," Starsky said, wiping dribble from the baby's chin.

Hutch glanced at the clock on the wall. "Hey, Jenny will be getting off the bus soon. I'll go meet her." Starsky never replied so Hutch shrugged and headed out the front door. He sat on the steps until he saw the yellow bus come into view. Standing up, he walked halfway down the driveway.

Jenny got off the bus and eyed him warily. Hutch looked up at the bus windows and saw all the boys now had their noses pressed up against the glass admiring Starsky's car. "Hi Jenny. Remember me?"

"Yes. You are Mr. Hutchinson," Jenny said walking up the driveway toward the house.

"You can call me Hutch."

Jenny looked Hutch up and down and considered the offer. "No, thank you. Where is my mother?"

Hutch sat back down on the front step so he was more at an eye level with the little blond. "You brother had an accident and hurt his arm. Your Mommy and Daddy are with him getting it taken care of. They will be home in a little while." Hutch watched as worry flitted across Jenny's face. She moved to open the front door. "I like your lunch box," he said pointing at the Happy Days box in her hand in a desperate attempt to connect with her.

"Thank you." She opened the door and disappeared inside. By the time Hutch followed her in, she was half way up the stairs. "I'm changing and then going outside to play," she said without looking back.

Hutch sighed and flopped down on the couch and watched Starsky burp Kevin. He was doing a bang up job of it too. The man was a natural.

Aubrey came in the house a few minutes later. Starsky updated her on the events of the afternoon. She called the hospital and Dixie connected her with Roy. She hung up the phone a few minutes later.

"He's doing okay but in a lot of pain. They are going to keep him for a while. I'm going to go down there. Are you two okay here for a while more?"

Hutch reached out his arms to take Delia. "Of course we are."

"I'll take her with me," Aubrey said, moving toward the door.

"Oh come on," Hutch said on the verge of a whine. "Starsky is having all the fun. Please leave her with me?"

Aubrey bit her lip and thought about it. "Well, she is fed and changed. Okay. There is a jar of baby food in the bag if she gets fussy. She may even take the bottle of water I have in there. Are you sure?"

Hutch put his hands out again, "I'm sure. You go check on Chris and his parents."

Aubrey handed Delia to Hutch and stood for a moment enjoying the sight of the two happy bachelors playing Dad for the afternoon.

"I'll call from the hospital to check in."

"We'll be fine." Hutch and Starsky called after her.

After Aubrey was gone, Hutch sat down on the couch with Delia in his lap. Seeing the baby smiling at Hutch's faces, Starsky said, "Oh, so she knows I'm not the only funny looking one in the room, huh?" He smiled down at Kevin and then drew back. "Holy smokes, Hutch. I think we have a Code Brown in progress."

Hutch looked up from his cooing charge, "A Code…ohhhh. Hey, he's all yours, Starsk. Changing table is through there." Hutch pointed over his shoulder toward the spare room.

Starsky left his cane behind again as he tried to simultaneously hold Kevin at arm's length and cover his nose. He was not having much success.

Hutch pulled Starsky's car keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of Delia. He laughed as her wriggling stopped and her eyes grew big at the sound.

"Oh, Hutch. Ugh. Help."

"No, no. You wanted to take care of everything yourself." Hutch said without looking up from Delia. He snickered as he heard more gasps and groans from the other room. "That's what he gets for hogging that kid all afternoon."

Jenny came into the house and walked over to Hutch. "What's going on in there?" she asked, puzzled by the commotion from down the hall.

"Mr. Starsky is changing Kevin's diaper," He smiled wickedly, hoping to get the little girl to giggle along with him. Instead she went into the spare room. Five minutes later she returned with Starsky.

"Thanks, Jenny. You were a lot of help."

"It's not that bad," she said, rolling her eyes as she took the diaper pail to the laundry room.

"Shown up by a nine-year-old again?"

"Yeah," Starsky replied and slumped down in the recliner. "That was nasty."

Jenny returned and sat down next to Hutch. She pushed his hand away that jangled the keys and pulled a rattle from Delia's diaper bag. "Here, this is better than dirty old keys."

"Oh, thanks," Hutch replied glancing over at Starsky who was stifling a laugh. Hutch watch Delia become still. "She's really concentrating on that toy, isn't she?"

"No, silly, she is going poop."

"What?" Hutch exclaimed. His partner couldn't contain his laugh any longer and clapped his hands with glee.

"Your turn!"

The front door opened and Roy and Joanne came in leading a very woozy looking Chris. Aubrey was right behind them. Hutch gladly handed the grunting baby to her mother much to Starsky's dismay.

"Uh, sorry about that. She is just…well, you know," Hutch stammered as Aubrey caught wind of her little angel.

Roy updated Starsky and Hutch on the car that hit Chris. "A couple of high school kids who cut school had been drinking. Chris' friends remembered enough to identify the car and the driver was arrested."

"I'm glad they found them. Sad they have to learn their lesson this way but let's hope they did," Hutch said.

Ten minutes later Hutch and Starsky were saying goodbye to everyone.

"I'm glad Chris is feeling better. We'll see you on Thanksgiving," Hutch said.

"Come on, Blondie. Let's get going. You still owe me Grauman's Chinese. I'm starving."

Hutch followed Starsky outside, "It's Mann's and it's not…oh, never mind."

~ E ~

On Thanksgiving Day, Hutch and Starsky arrived with a big bouquet of flowers for the centerpiece. Chris was on the couch watching a football game. He turned the volume down as the two detectives came in the room.

"Hi Starsky. Hi Hutch," he said sliding over to make room for them to join him.

"How ya feeling, Chris?" Hutch asked.

"A lot better now. So my Mom said she got to ride in the Torino to the hospital."

Starsky looked pleased as Hutch replied, "She did. I even put the bubble light on top."

"Aw, I wish I could have given you a ride, Jo." Starsky said with a grin.

"Believe me, Joanne, just be happy it was me that was driving." Hutch made a mock frightened face and everyone laughed.

"Starsky, could I go for a ride in it?"

"Well, if it's alright with Hutch and your parents," Starsky looked up at Joanne and Roy who both nodded, "then sure."

Hutch and Chris made a bee-line to the front door both afraid Joanne would change her mind. "Can we drive by my friend's house?" Chris asked.

"Absolutely! I'll even hit the siren."

"Cooool!"

Starsky put his hands in his pockets and looked around. "Where's my buddy Kevin?"

Joanne laughed. "He's napping. You really did a great job taking care of him. Thank you again."

Starsky gave a one-shoulder shrug. "I enjoyed doing it, actually."

"You'll make a wonderful father some day."

"I sure hope so," Starsky said wistfully.

~ E ~

Later everyone gathered for dinner. "Smells fantastic," Starsky exclaimed, tucking his napkin under his chin.

Hutch gestured from across the table to take the napkin down. Starsky didn't understand so Hutch took his own napkin and placed it on his lap. Starsky reluctantly pulled the napkin from his collar and laid it on his lap. He pulled a face at Hutch who responded by sticking out his tongue. Jenny giggled and Hutch was happy he finally got a positive reaction, even if it was for doing something inappropriate.

Roy brought the turkey in and placed it on the table. He sat down and looked lovingly at Joanne. "Well, I want to thank everyone for coming. We don't stand on ceremony but I just want to tell you how much you all mean to me. A lot has happened since this time last year." All the adults nodded. "I have so much to be thankful for…my wife, my children, my wonderful friends. We've supported each other, had some fun and been through some tough times. And I know we give thanks every day – not just on Thanksgiving. Thank you, Joanne, for giving me three amazing children, for being there for me when I've had a tough day, for giving me something wonderful to come home to every day. Thank you, Johnny, for being the best friend a guy could have and the best partner. I owe my life to you. Thank you, Aubrey, for coming into our lives and loving the brother that means so much to us. Thank you, Starsky and Hutch, for saving our lives and becoming our friends. Roy raised his glass and everyone did the same. To all our many blessings. May there be many more."

"Cheers," everyone announced and took a drink.

As the food began being passed around, Starsky filled his plate to overflowing. He looked around at the two wonderful families and his best friend. His heart swelled with happiness and love, "This is the best day."

**The End**


End file.
